U.S. patent application number 14/134186 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-26 for sealed battery.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA. The applicant listed for this patent is Tomohiro ONO. Invention is credited to Tomohiro ONO.
Application Number | 20140178746 14/134186 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50974985 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140178746 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ONO; Tomohiro |
June 26, 2014 |
SEALED BATTERY
Abstract
A sealed battery includes a current-collecting terminal member;
a gasket that electrically insulates a lid member and the
current-collecting terminal member from each other; and a
connection member that connects the current-collecting terminal
member and an external terminal member. The connection member and
the current-collecting terminal member are connected by swaging the
second end of the current-collecting terminal member to an
insertion hole of the connection member. The lid member has a
lid-side protruded portion that compresses the gasket. The
current-collecting terminal member has a terminal-side protruded
portion that compresses the gasket. A gasket-side area of the
lid-side protruded portion, a gasket-side area of the terminal-side
protruded portion, and an area of a surface of the
current-collecting terminal member which faces and contacts the
gasket, except the terminal-side protruded portion, are different
in size from each other.
Inventors: |
ONO; Tomohiro; (Miyoshi-shi,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ONO; Tomohiro |
Miyoshi-shi |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
Toyota-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
50974985 |
Appl. No.: |
14/134186 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
429/179 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 2/0404 20130101;
H01M 2/0217 20130101; Y02E 60/10 20130101; H01M 2/30 20130101; H01M
2/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
429/179 |
International
Class: |
H01M 2/08 20060101
H01M002/08; H01M 2/02 20060101 H01M002/02; H01M 2/30 20060101
H01M002/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 25, 2012 |
JP |
2012-281607 |
Claims
1. A sealed battery comprising: an electricity generating element;
a container member that has a bottomed rectangular columnar shape
and that houses the electricity generating element; a rectangular
lid member that closes an opening of the container member and that
has a through hole; an external terminal member protruded outward
from the lid member; a current-collecting terminal member whose
first end is connected to the electricity generating element within
the container member and whose second end is tubular and is
inserted through the through hole and extends outward from the lid
member; a gasket that, at an inner side of the lid member,
electrically insulates the lid member and the current-collecting
terminal member from each other; and a platy connection member
that, at an outer side of the lid member, connects the
current-collecting terminal member and the external terminal member
to each other, wherein the platy connection member has an insertion
hole through which the second end of the current-collecting
terminal member is inserted, and the platy connection member and
the current-collecting terminal member are connected by swaging the
second end of the current-collecting terminal member to the
insertion hole, the lid member has a lid-side protruded portion
that compresses the gasket, in a gasket-side surface of the lid
member, the current-collecting terminal member has, at a position
facing the lid-side protruded portion, a terminal-side protruded
portion that compresses the gasket, in a gasket-side surface of the
current-collecting terminal member, and a gasket-side area of the
lid-side protruded portion, a gasket-side area of the terminal-side
protruded portion, and an area of a surface of the
current-collecting terminal member which faces and contacts the
gasket, except the terminal-side protruded portion, are different
in size from each other.
2. The sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein the gasket-side
area of the lid-side protruded portion is exceeded in size by the
gasket-side area of the terminal-side protruded portion, which in
turn is exceeded in size by the area of the surface of the
current-collecting terminal member which faces and contacts the
gasket, except the terminal-side protruded portion.
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0001] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.
2012-281607 filed on Dec. 25, 2012 including the specification,
drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a sealed battery and, more
particularly, to a technology of producing a terminal structure of
a sealed battery.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] In a sealed battery having a rectangular parallelepiped
shape, its jacket houses an electricity generating element of the
battery. Within the jacket, at each of a side of a positive
electrode terminal and a side of a negative electrode terminal
there is disposed a current-collecting terminal member that extends
through the wall of the jacket and is protruded outward from the
jacket. Inside the jacket, a first end of each current-collecting
terminal member is electrically connected to the electricity
generating element, and outside the jacket, a second end of each
current-collecting terminal member is electrically connected to a
corresponding one of external terminal members. Therefore, electric
power can be given and received between the inside and outside of
the battery.
[0006] In some cases, platy connection members are used to
electrically connect, outside the jacket, the second ends of the
current-collecting terminal members to the external terminal
members as described above. It is to be noted that there is known a
technology of interconnecting the second end of a
current-collecting terminal member and a connection member by
swaging the second end of the current-collecting terminal member to
an insertion hole formed in the connection member (see, e.g.,
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-028246 (JP
2012-028246 A)).
[0007] As in JP 2012-028246 A, when the second end of a
current-collecting terminal member is to be connected to a
connection member, air-tightness of an internal space of the sealed
battery is secured by compressing a gasket that insulates the
current-collecting terminal member from a lid member. At this time,
since the gasket compression process cannot be seen or grasped from
outside, it is a normal practice to compress the gasket with a
certain load. However, according to the aforementioned gasket
compression with a certain load, there is a possibility of
occurrence of excessive compression or insufficient compression of
the gasket due to variations in the dimensions of component parts,
such as the lid member, the current-collecting terminal member, the
gasket, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The invention provides a sealed battery capable of
preventing excessive compression and insufficient compression of
the gasket at the time of swaging the second end of the
current-collecting terminal member to the connection member despite
variations in the dimensions of component parts, such the gasket
and the like.
[0009] An aspect of the invention relates to a sealed battery that
includes: an electricity generating element; a container member
that has a bottomed rectangular columnar shape and that houses the
electricity generating element; a rectangular lid member that
closes an opening of the container member and that has a through
hole; an external terminal member protruded outward from the lid
member; a current-collecting terminal member whose first end is
connected to the electricity generating element within the
container member and whose second end is tubular and is inserted
through the through hole and extends outward from the lid member; a
gasket that, at an inner side of the lid member, electrically
insulates the lid member and the current-collecting terminal member
from each other; and a platy connection member that, at an outer
side of the lid member, connects the current-collecting terminal
member and the external terminal member to each other. The
connection member has an insertion hole through which the second
end of the current-collecting terminal member is inserted. The
connection member and the current-collecting terminal member are
connected by swaging the second end of the current-collecting
terminal member to the insertion hole. The lid member has a
lid-side protruded portion that compresses the gasket, in a
gasket-side surface of the lid member. The current-collecting
terminal member has, at a position facing the lid-side protruded
portion, a terminal-side protruded portion that compresses the
gasket, in a gasket-side surface of the current-collecting terminal
member. A gasket-side area of the lid-side protruded portion, a
gasket-side area of the terminal-side protruded portion, and an
area of a surface of the current-collecting terminal member which
faces and contacts the gasket, except the terminal-side protruded
portion, are different in size from each other.
[0010] The gasket-side area of the lid-side protruded portion may
be exceeded in size by the gasket-side area of the terminal-side
protruded portion, which in turn may be exceeded in size by the
area of the surface of the current-collecting terminal member which
faces and contacts the gasket, except the terminal-side protruded
portion.
[0011] According to the invention, even if component parts of the
sealed battery, such as the gasket and the like, have dimensional
variations, it is possible to prevent excessive compression and
insufficient compression of the gasket when the second end of the
current-collecting terminal member is swaged to the connection
member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial
significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be
described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1A is a front sectional view showing a general
construction of a sealed battery;
[0014] FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a general construction of the
sealed battery;
[0015] FIG. 2A is a front sectional view showing a terminal portion
in the sealed battery;
[0016] FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the terminal portion in the
sealed battery;
[0017] FIG. 3A is a front sectional view showing a terminal portion
in the sealed battery;
[0018] FIG. 3B is a front sectional view showing a
current-collecting terminal member in the sealed battery
immediately before the terminal portion is swaged;
[0019] FIG. 4A is front sectional view showing the
current-collecting terminal member in the sealed battery during the
swaging process;
[0020] FIG. 4B is a front sectional view showing the
current-collecting terminal member in the sealed battery after the
swaging process;
[0021] FIG. 5A is a diagram showing changes in the gasket
compression load; and
[0022] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing percent defectives of sealed
batteries.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The invention is not limited to the following
embodiments.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B, a
general construction of a battery 10 that is an embodiment of the
sealed battery of the invention will be described. The battery 10
of this embodiment is a lithium-ion secondary battery. The battery
10 includes, as main component elements: an electricity-generating
element 20; a jacket 30 in which the electricity-generating element
20 is housed; external terminal members 40 that are protruded
outward from the jacket 30; insulation members 50 that are resinous
members interposed between the external terminal members 40 and the
jacket 30; current-collecting terminal members 45 a first end of
each of which is connected to the electricity-generating element 20
and a second end of each of which extends out of the jacket 30;
gaskets 51 that are resinous members interposed between the
current-collecting terminal members 45 and the jacket 30; and platy
connection members 47 that, outside the jacket 30, connect the
current-collecting terminal members 45 to the external terminal
members 40.
[0025] The electricity-generating element 20 is an electrode
assembly formed by laminating or rolling a positive electrode, a
negative electrode and separators together and impregnating them
with an electrolytic solution. When the battery 10 is charged or
discharged, electric current is produced by chemical reactions
occurring in the electricity-generating element 20 (more
specifically, migration of ions between the positive electrode and
the negative electrode via the electrolytic solution).
[0026] The jacket 30 is a prismatic can that has a container member
31 and a lid member 32 that are each made of metal. The container
member 31 is a member that has a bottomed rectangular columnar
shape and that houses therein the electricity-generating element
20. A face of the container member 31 is open. The lid member 32 is
a flat platy rectangular member having a configuration commensurate
with the open face of the container member 31, and is joined to the
container member 31 so as to close the opening face of the
container member 31.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 2A, the lid member 32 of the jacket 30 has
through holes 33 through which the second ends of the
current-collecting terminal members 45 (upper ends thereof in this
embodiment) can be inserted. Each through hole 33 has a
predetermined inside diameter, and extends through a wall of the
jacket 30 (the lid member 32) in its thickness direction.
[0028] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2A, the lid member 32 has on
its outside surface (an upper surface in FIG. 2A) rotation stopper
groves 36 that are formed adjacent to the through holes 33. More
specifically, rectangular grooves of downward depression are formed
as rotation stopper grooves 36 in the lid member 32, at locations
near the through holes 33.
[0029] A pour hole 34 is formed relatively near the center of the
lid member 32, between the rotation stopper grooves 36. The pour
hole 34 is a through hole having a predetermined inside diameter,
and extends through the lid member 32 in the thickness direction of
the lid member 32. The pour hole 34 is used to pour an electrolytic
solution into the jacket 30 in which the electricity-generating
element 20 is housed beforehand. The pour hole 34 is sealed with a
seal member 61 after the electrolytic solution is poured in.
[0030] The insulation members 50 are disposed on the upper side of
the lid member 32, and electrically insulate the external terminal
members 40 and the connection members 47 from the lid member 32.
Each insulation member 50 has an insertion hole 50a through which a
second end 45b of the current-collecting terminal member 45 is
inserted, and a rotation stopper portion 50b that is formed so as
to have substantially the same shape as the rotation stopper groove
36 and that is fixed in the rotation stopper groove 36.
[0031] The gaskets 51 are disposed on an upper side of the
current-collecting terminal member 45, at an inner side of the lid
member 32 (below the lid member 32 in FIG. 2A), and electrically
insulate the current-collecting terminal members 45 and the lid
member 32 of the jacket 30 from each other. Each gasket 51 has a
sleeve portion 51a that is inserted into a corresponding one of the
through holes 33. Because the sleeve portion 51a of each gasket 51
wraps around the current-collecting terminal member 45, the
current-collecting terminal member 45 is electrically insulated
from the lid member 32 of the jacket 30. In other words, each
current-collecting terminal member 45 is inserted into the sleeve
portion 51a of a corresponding one of the gaskets 51, and extends
through a corresponding one of the through holes 33.
[0032] As for materials of the insulation members 50 and the
gaskets 51, a preferable material is a material excellent in
high-temperature creep property, that is, a material having a
long-period creep resistance to the hot-cold cycles of the battery
10. Examples of such a material include PFA (perfluoroalkoxy
ethylene) and the like.
[0033] The external terminal members 40 are columnar members
disposed on an upper surface of the lid member 32, via the
insulation members 50, so that an end of each external terminal
member 40 (an upper end thereof in this embodiment) is protruded
outward. The external terminal members 40 are electrically
connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of
the electricity-generating element 20 via the current-collecting
terminal members 45, respectively. The external terminal members 40
and the current-collecting terminal members 45 function as a
current-carrying path for outputting electric power stored in the
electricity-generating element 20 or inputting electric power from
outside into the electricity-generating element 20. A portion of
each of the external terminal members 40 which is protruded outward
from the battery 10 is threaded by a thread-rolling process, and is
thus formed as a bolt portion 40a (see FIG. 2A).
[0034] A first end 45a of each of the current-collecting terminal
members 45 (a lower end thereof in this embodiment) is connected to
a positive electrode plate or a negative electrode plate of the
electricity-generating element 20. Furthermore, the second end 45b
of each current-collecting terminal member 45 (an upper end thereof
in this embodiment) is tubular, and is inserted through a
corresponding one of the through holes 33 of the lid member 32 and
extends out (upward) from the lid member 32. As for materials of
the current-collecting terminal members 45, for example, aluminum
may be used for the positive electrode-side member and copper may
be used for the negative electrode-side member.
[0035] The connection members 47 are electroconductive platy
members that have a crank shape in a sectional view as shown in
FIG. 2A. Each connection member 47 has an insertion hole 47a and an
external terminal hole 47b both of which extend in the thickness
direction of the connection member 47. Since the two connection
members 47 and their adjacent structures (the two terminal
portions) are substantially identical (or symmetric) to each other,
description below will sometimes be made with regard to only one of
the connection members 47 or only one of the two terminal portions.
The second end 45b of the current-collecting terminal member 45 is
inserted into the insertion hole 47a, and is swaged to the
insertion hole 47a so that the connection member 47 and the
current-collecting terminal member 45 are connected (see FIGS. 4A
and 4B). The second end 45b of the current-collecting terminal
member 45 is swaged so as to spread in a circular disc shape as
shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Hereinafter, the circular disc-shaped
portion of the second end 45b of each current-collecting terminal
member 45 is termed the swage portion 45c. In order to secure
electroconductivity between the current-collecting terminal member
45 and the connection member 47, an outer peripheral side end
portion of the swage portion 45c of the current-collecting terminal
member 45 is welded to the connection member 47 (welded portions
W).
[0036] Furthermore, the external terminal member 40 is inserted
through the external terminal hole 47b of the connection member 47.
Then, a bus bar (not shown) through which the external terminal
member 40 is inserted is placed on an upper surface of the
connection member 47, and a nut is fastened to the bolt portion 40a
of the external terminal member 40 from above the bus bar. In this
manner, the connection member 47 and the external terminal member
40 are connected together. That is, the current-collecting terminal
member 45 and the external terminal member 40 are connected by the
connection member 47 at the outer side of the lid member 32.
[0037] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B and FIGS. 4A and 4B,
a procedure of compressing the gasket 51 when the second end 45b of
the current-collecting terminal member 45 is swaged to the
connection member 47 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, on a
gasket 51-side surface of the lid member 32 (the lower surface
thereof in FIG. 3A), around the through hole 33 there is formed a
lid-side protruded portion 32a 10' protruded to the gasket 51 side
so as to compress the gasket 51 from above. The gasket 51-side area
of the lid-side protruded portion 32a is termed the area A.
[0038] Furthermore, on a gasket 51-side surface of the
current-collecting terminal member 45 (the upper surface thereof in
FIG. 3A), around the second end 45b there is formed a terminal-side
protruded portion 45d that is protruded to the gasket 51 side at a
position that faces the lid-side protruded portion 32a so that the
terminal-side protruded portion 45d compresses the gasket 51 from
below. The gasket 51-side area of the terminal-side protruded
portion 45d is termed the area B. The area of an upper surface of
the current-collecting terminal member 45 that faces the gasket 51,
except the terminal-side protruded portion 45d (hereinafter,
referred to as "general portion 45e"), is termed the area C. As
shown in FIG. 3A, the areas A, B and C are different in size from
each other.
[0039] When the second end 45b of the current-collecting terminal
member 45 is to be swaged to the connection member 47, an operation
is performed as follows. Firstly, as shown in FIG. 3A, the second
end 45b of the current-collecting terminal member 45 is inserted
from the inside to the outside of the jacket 30 through the sleeve
portion 51a of the gasket 51, the through hole 33 of the lid member
32, the insertion hole 50a of the insulation member 50 and the
insertion hole 47a of the connection member 47 in this order (at
this stage, the swage portion 45c is not formed into a circular
disc shape yet, but extends upward in a generally tubular shape).
Then, the gasket 51 is lowered as shown by an arrow a in FIG. 3A so
that the lower surface of the gasket 51 contacts the terminal-side
protruded portion 45d of the current-collecting terminal member 45
as shown in FIG. 3B. Furthermore, the lid member 32, the insulation
member 50 and the connection member 47 are similarly lowered as
shown by an arrow .beta. in FIG. 3A so that the lid-side protruded
portion 32a of the lid member 32 contacts the upper surface of the
gasket 51 as shown in FIG. 3B. At this time, the sleeve portion 51a
of the gasket 51 is inserted into the through hole 33.
[0040] Then, as shown by arrows F in FIG. 4A, the swage portion 45c
is pressurized and spread into a circular disc shape via a swage
jig (not shown). At this time, the gasket 51 receives compression
forces from both above and below. However, the compression of the
gasket 51 starts first in a portion that contacts the lid-side
protruded portion 32a (a range R1 shown in FIG. 4A) because the
contact area of the gasket 51 with the lid-side protruded portion
32a (the area A) is smaller than the contact area with
terminal-side protruded portion 45d (the area B) and therefore the
pressure form the lid-side protruded portion 32a on the gasket 51
is greater. The process in which the gasket 51 is compressed
substantially exclusively by the lid-side protruded portion 32a is
termed the first step. Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the lid-side
protruded portion 32a becomes embedded in the upper surface of the
gasket 51 so that the entire upper surface of the gasket 51
contacts the lower surface of the lid member 32.
[0041] After that, the compression is further conducted via the
swage jig (not shown) as shown by arrows F in FIG. 4B. At this
time, since the lid-side protruded portion 32a has already been
embedded in the upper surface of the gasket 51, the lid member 32
contacts the whole upper surface of the gasket 51, so that the
contact area of the gasket 51 with the terminal-side protruded
portion 45d (area B), which is provided below, is smaller than the
contact area with the lid member 32, which is provided above.
Therefore, the compression of a portion of the gasket 51 that
contacts the terminal-side protruded portion 45d (a range R2 shown
in FIG. 4B) starts since the pressure from the terminal-side
protruded portion 45d on the gasket 51 is now greater. The process
in which the gasket 51 is compressed substantially exclusively by
the terminal-side protruded portion 45d is termed the second
step.
[0042] Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the terminal-side protruded
portion 45d is embedded in the lower surface of the gasket 51, and
the entire lower surface of the gasket 51 contacts the upper
surface of the current-collecting terminal member 45. That is, the
lower surface of the gasket 51 contacts not only the terminal-side
protruded portion 45d but also the general portion 45e (area C) of
the upper surface of the current-collecting terminal member 45.
Then, the gasket 51 is compressed substantially exclusively by the
general portion 45e, and the compression of the gasket 51 ends when
a predetermined stroke is completed. The process in which the
gasket 51 is compressed by the general portion 45e is termed the
third step.
[0043] With regard to the battery 10 in accordance with the
embodiment, changes in the stroke and the compression load when the
gasket 51 is compressed will be described with reference to FIG.
5A. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the first step, the gasket 51 is
compressed by the area A of the lid-side protruded portion 32a,
which is relatively small, so that the amount of increase in the
compression load relative to the amount of increase in the stroke
(the gradient of the compression load) is small. Subsequently, in
the second step, the gasket 51 is compressed by the area B, which
is larger than the area A, so that the amount of increase in the
compression load to the amount of increase in the stroke (the
gradient of the compression load) is larger than in the first step.
Furthermore, in the third step, the gasket 51 is compressed by the
area C, which is larger than the area B, so that the amount of
increase in the compression load to the amount of increase in the
stroke (the gradient of the compression load) is larger than in the
second step.
[0044] That is, according to the embodiment, the transition of the
compressed state of the gasket 51 from the first step to the second
step (which corresponds to a point P1 in FIG. 5A) and the
transition of the compressed state of the gasket 51 from the second
step to the third step (which corresponds to a point P2 in FIG. 5A)
can be detected by estimation from a change in the gradient of the
compression load. In other words, the end of the compression of the
gasket 51 by the lid-side protruded portion 32a can be detected on
the basis of the point P1, which indicates the transition from the
first step to the second step. Likewise, the end of the compression
of the gasket 51 by the terminal-side protruded portion 45d can be
detected on the basis of the point P2, which indicates the
transition from the second step to the third step. That is, the
passage through the point P1 and the point P2 makes it possible to
determine from outside that the gasket 51 has been sufficiently
compressed by the lid-side protruded portion 32a and the
terminal-side protruded portion 45d.
[0045] On the other hand, according to the related art, since the
compression process of a gasket cannot be detected or grasped from
outside, it is a normal practice to compress the gasket until a
predetermined stroke has occurred (or a predetermined time has
passed), as shown by an interrupted line in FIG. 5A. Therefore,
there is a possibility of occurrence of excessive compression or
insufficient compression of the gaskets due to variations in the
dimensions of component parts, such as the gaskets and the like.
According to the embodiment, however, the passage through the point
P1 and the point P2 allows recognition that the gasket 51 has been
sufficiently compressed by the lid-side protruded portion 32a and
the terminal-side protruded portion 45d, so that occurrence of
insufficient compression of the gasket 51 can be prevented.
Furthermore, by stopping the compression after an appropriate
stroke occurs following the passage through the point P2, excessive
compression of the gasket 51 can also be prevented. That is, the
battery 10 in the embodiment is capable of preventing excessive
compression and insufficient compression of the gasket 51 at the
time of swaging the second end 45b of the current-collecting
terminal member 45 to the connection member 47, despite variations
in the dimensions of component parts, such as the gaskets 51 and
the like.
[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the areas A, B
and C increase in size in this order. Therefore, the gradient of
the compression load increases in the order of the first, second
and third steps, so that it is easy to recognize that the
compressed state of the gasket 51 changes from the first step to
the second step and from the second step to the third step.
[0047] FIG. 5B shows comparison between the related art and the
embodiment in percent defective. As shown in FIG. 5B, leak defect
(air-tightness defect due to insufficient compression or excessive
compression of a gasket), compression rate defect (gasket
compression rate abnormality) and other defects were observed in
the related art. On the other hand, according to the embodiment,
although the other defects occurred, the leak defect and the
compression rate defect were prevented. Therefore, while in the
related art it is necessary to perform a leak test on all the
processed articles after a process in which the gasket is
compressed by swaging the second end of the current-collecting
terminal member to the connection member, the embodiment allows
omission of this leak test. That is, according to the embodiment,
the production process of the battery 10 can be shortened.
* * * * *